Stranger Things Creators Offer New Details on Sean Astin’s Character

New details about Sean Astin’s character in season 2 of Stranger Things have been revealed. Aside from being a breakaway horror hit for Netflix, Stranger Things was also a bit of a flashback for fans of a certain age. The series was set in the 1980s and everything from the fashion and technology to the pop culture references was carefully chosen to reflect the decade. Even the style of filming was reminiscent of several directors from that time period.

The decade was also reflected in the choice of actors, with two of the main adult roles being played by Winona Ryder and Matthew Modine – both of whom became famous in the ’80s. That is a trait continuing with the second season, with ’80s star Paul Reiser joining the cast. Another ’80s favorite who has been cast in season 2 is Sean Astin, who was a child star in the decade – something he shares in common with co-star Ryder. In fact, Astin’s breakout role was as Mikey in The Goonies, one of the films which serves as an inspiration for Stranger Things.

So far, the details about Astin’s character have been kept under wraps. But that has changed – in an interview that Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers gave to Variety’s Remote Controlled podcast. Several details about who Astin is playing have now been revealed:

“He’s a manager at Radioshack, and he’s dating Joyce. He’s a sweet guy. I think Sean, more than anyone else that came in this season, completely shaped this character. It was probably, on the page, the least interesting, and not specifically meant to be as important of a role as it ended up being. What he brought to the performance completely elevated it and inspired us as we wrote. We were able to evolve his character as we we went along, and he just ended up being so great.”

In season 1, Joyce dedicated her whole life to being a mother to her two sons, and did not have any romantic interests. It sounds like despite her son Will’s disappearance she will have mellowed out dramatically in the ten months that have passed on the show, if she’s dating again. Still, Astin’s character Bob must be a very special guy to have caught her eye. And after everything she went through, it is nice to consider the possibility that Joyce will get a few minutes of happiness. Even if the odds are good they won’t last for long. The brothers further elaborated on Astin’s contribution:

“Sean just surprised us. We had a different image for that character he’s playing. The Bob character. Somehow our casting director turned us onto this idea of Sean and then suddenly the character became so much more interesting to us. He just blew everybody away. We’re just so excited for everyone to see him in this.”

One of the ongoing traits of Stranger Things is that nothing is as it seems. Children can be more powerful than adults. Monsters can hide practically in plain sight. When one question gets answered, two more pop up. So if a generally nice guy like Bob shows up, that is no guarantee that he’s actually that nice after all.